


Full of Grace

by cruisedirector



Category: The Lord of the Rings (Movies), The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Canonical Character Death, Community: contrelamontre, Fan Soundtracks, Love, M/M, Redemption, Songfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2003-04-24
Updated: 2003-04-24
Packaged: 2017-10-03 14:19:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19055
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cruisedirector/pseuds/cruisedirector
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There was a moment, as the first arrow pierced him, when Boromir knew that he had sought out such an end.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Full of Grace

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Contrelamontre soundtrack challenge; I used Sarah McLachlan's "Full of Grace."

_The winter here's cold, and bitter_  
_it's chilled us to the bone_  
_we haven't seen the sun for weeks_  
_too long too far from home_  
_I feel just like I'm sinking_  
_and I claw for solid ground_  
_I'm pulled down by the undertow_  
_I never thought I could feel so low_  
_oh darkness I feel like letting go_

There was a moment, as the first arrow pierced him, when Boromir knew that he had sought out such an end.

Death would bring him no honor, whether he chose it or not. Boromir had already lost his honor, on the hillside where he tried to take the Ring from Frodo. The Ring had found out his weakness and tortured him with it, showing him Gondor as a ruined wasteland. He had given in to despair then, though despair was unworthy of a warrior.

Even after he recovered his senses, he saw that he had sunk into darkness, as surely as Gandalf had fallen in Moria.

From the moment he beheld the vast orc army, Boromir understood that it was hopeless to try to save the little ones as well. The sight chilled him. He could not defend Merry and Pippin against so many. And the Horn of Gondor could not summon aid to him in time, so far from home, blown by his lips which had betrayed them all.

Yet the battle seemed a relief. He swung his sword and brought down the servants of evil, heedless of the small injuries that they inflicted upon him, determined only to fight so valiantly that the battle would be all he knew.

_So it's better this way, I said_  
_having seen this place before_  
_where everything we said and did_  
_hurts us all the more_  
_its just that we stayed too long_  
_in the same old sickly skin_  
_pulled down by the undertow_  
_I never thought I could feel so low_  
_oh darkness I feel like letting go_

There was a moment, as the first arrow pierced him, when Boromir knew that he had sought out such an end. The second shaft dropped him to his knees, and after the third he could not rise again. He watched the goblin-men seize the hobbits, thinking only that it was over. Now he could die, now that he had failed in this final task.

He faced the creature taking aim at his head with a level gaze. This he could do: he could welcome the fatal blow.

Aragorn burst through the trees so suddenly that Boromir almost believed he had flown there. It pained his heart that the other man should find him in such a state, yet he was glad to look upon Isildur's heir one last time, even though he was filled with terror at the thought that Aragorn might die trying to protect him when he was already lost.

Yet Aragorn proved victorious, and flew once more to Boromir's side. The older man's eyes filled with horror as he beheld Boromir's graying skin and heard the wheeze of lungs drowning in their own blood. Boromir tried to tell him that it was better this way, for he would rather die unlamented at Amon Hen than witness the darkness covering his city.

The forgiveness and sorrow in Aragorn's eyes made Boromir despair anew for the life he had lost. He longed to take back all the words he had spoken in anger to the Ranger, now their leader, the worthiest man he knew.

Then Aragorn promised to defend the White City and their people. Shivering while he fought not to sink into death for one more moment, Boromir gladly gave him the allegiance he had held back for so long. As the undertow surged to claim him, he gazed into Aragorn's glistening eyes, wishing with all his heart that they might both find alone the grace they had never shared.

"My king," he said, and saw the acceptance on Aragorn's face, and felt himself lifted from the darkness.

_If all of the strength_  
_and all of the courage_  
_come and lift me from this place_  
_I know I could love you much better than this_  
_full of grace_  
_full of grace_  
_my love_


End file.
